Catching Up With Knitting and even Christmas!

I'm still here. I've just been blank lately.  Life has been pretty normal the past couple of weeks.  I'm still very sad about Magic, but know it was for the best.  His brother, Onyx has always been the independent, aloof cat of the two.  Since Magic died though, he has become much more loving and needy.  I'm sure he misses his brother.

I am knitting when I can. Are you a process knitter or a product knitter?  Some of my knitter friends amaze me by the number of projects they have going at once and how much they produce.I am very impressed and sometimes a little jealous.  However, unless I have a deadline for a gift, I've decided I'm a process knitter.  I like the knitting.  I like watching it progress and always having something to pick up and work on.  I like choices too, having two or three things going so that if I get tired of one (or hit a snag and lose my temper and throw it on the floor) I have another project to go to.  I also like having a simple small project going for taking with me.  This is a must for knitting group.  If I get brave and decide to take a lace project or anything with a complicated pattern and counting, I usually have to come home and rip it out.  Besides knitting, we do a lot of talking and laughing and that is not conducive to intricate projects.  Most everyone in the group confesses to the same problem.  I also try to save my bigger projects which are not easy to transport (you don't want a big afghan spilling off your lap into the floor of the doctor's waiting room) for home.  I said all this to say, I don't knit very fast!  I still have the same projects on the needles as several weeks ago!  That would drive product knitters crazy as they want to have a finished product to admire and then move on.  For us process knitters though, that's okay, up to a point.  Eventually I get tired of something and want it finished!

Here are the current projects, two of which you have seen before.

My two-at-a-time, toe-up socks on magic loop.  This is my traveling project, but even though I only work on it occasionally, you can see I am up to the ribbing on the cuff so it will be finished soon.  I really enjoyed doing socks this way and will again.

 New project - Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf (pattern found on Ravelry), using Noro Silk Garden, left over from the sweater I did last year.  Robin loves this pattern and after seeing a gorgeous scarf she knitted I had to try it.  I love knitting with Noro, it is fascinating just seeing how the colors turn out.

And this is the afghan for granddaughter, B, using Plymouth Encore.  No pattern, I'm just making it up as I go.  Very easy peasy, but sometimes a little boring just knitting and pearling such long rows!

While uploading (downloading?) these pictures I saw some from Christmas I don't think I've published.  Just family, and mostly the grands!

B

N & B

Daugher-in-law Janet, Granddaddy, B & N

B, me, son Jon (acting silly) and daughter Amy

B & N

Christmas morning with Baby Alive.

Poor child, didn't get anything for Christmas! Ha

She let me curl her hair for once!

Taking Baby Alive for a ride in the shopping cart.

Both girls are getting ready to have extensive dental work so keep them in your prayers.  With B it is braces, but also some dental surgery before the braces.  With N, we're not sure yet what is going to be involved, her dentist is referring her to a pediatric dental specialist.  When she was born she had kidney problems and was given antibiotics.  These apparently damaged her enamel  and her teeth are a mess and it is sometimes painful.  On top of that she fell on concrete about a year ago and knocked both front teeth loose.  They turned dark, and one had to be crowned.  This looks bad as one is dark, and one really white. (I know this is a superficial problem, but kids are going to be cruel and luckily so far she isn't conscious of it, but I know it will happen)  I hope they fix this too.  She just turned three, has had kidney problems, scoliosis, tonsils and adenoids removed, ear tubes twice so far and now these dental issues.  She's a trouper though - always happy. 

And if you remember my friends Brenda and L.C. who adopted LaiCie from China in August - this is beautiful LaiCie dressed up for Christmas.  Brenda brought her into work to see us and she had better watch out, everyone of us would kidnap her in a minute!

 

She brought us all cookies and loved handing them out!  What a cutie.